Why minis need their own storage
Miniatures are the most fragile components in the hobby — thin parts snap, soft plastic warps, and figures that rattle loose chip each other's paint. Whether they're board game minis, D&D figures, or a painted wargaming army, the goal is the same: keep each figure from touching its neighbors and from sliding when the box moves. That comes down to two main approaches — foam and magnets — plus the boxes and sheets that make them work.
The two camps: foam vs. magnets
Almost every storage debate among mini collectors comes down to these two.
- Foam: pre-cut or pluck trays cradle each figure; simple and protective, but foam can rub paint over time and snags fragile parts.
- Magnets: glue a magnet under each base and store on a magnetic or ferrous sheet; nothing touches the model, which is safest for painted minis.
- DIY boxes: a clear stackable box plus a magnetic sheet is the community's favorite budget magnetic setup.
Match the method to your minis
Unpainted or sturdy plastic minis are happy in foam or a divider box. Painted and fragile figures — the ones you spent hours on — are better off magnetized, where no surface ever rubs the paint. For travel to game night or a tournament, a hard case (foam or magnetic) protects against the jostling that snaps thin parts. For storage at home, magnets on a shelf of stackable boxes keep an army sorted and visible.